Holiday Dreams

Grace Ball and Florian Rouiller are the “Snow King & Queen.” Ball is a high school student in Fairfax and Rouiller a teacher and professional dancer.

Amidst the magical and wondrous holiday season, Clara and Fritz receive a magical nutcracker from a relative. After dark when the little ones drift off to sleep under the family’s Christmas tree, they are awakened – or is it a dream – by mice who battle toy soldiers that have sprung to life.

The solders are led by the also-come-to-life Nutcracker, who, helped on to victory by Fritz and Clara, then takes them to the magical lands of snow and sweets where they encounter, among other things, the Sugar Plum Fairy.

What a lovely holiday classic to share this holiday season with friends and family ... but to stay during the entire performance may be a bit much for the younger generation or today’s harried parents.

Not to worry, says Benn Savage, owner of The Center for Ballet Arts in Fairfax. “We’ve taken this timeless classic and condensed it into a 75-minute production with no intermission,” he said in a recent interview. “Performing the Nutcracker is exciting, it’s what ballet does. ... We just condensed it so everyone would enjoy it.”

The Center for Ballet Arts performs its annual version of the holiday classic that includes dancing Snowflakes, waltzing Flowers and of course, the Sugar Plum Fairy. Performances of “Nutcracker in a Nutshell” says Savage, will be Friday, December 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 15 at 3 and 7:30 p.m. The holiday classic will be performed at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center on the Alexandria Campus of Northern Virginia Community College (3001 N. Beauregard Street). During Saturday’s performance, members of the U. S. Marines will be on hand to pick up toys for the their “Toys for Tots” program; attendees are urged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to any one of the performances to help spread the joy of the season.

Guest artists Brian Debes, Dustin Kimball and Florian Rouiller will appear in all three performances, as well members of the Ballet Arts Ensemble of Fairfax and Center students.

“Claras” Laura Quintela, left, and Emily Dawson, perform a scene from “Nutcracker in a Nutshell.”

The Center for Ballet Arts began as a dream for owner Benn and his wife, Deborah, both professional dancers, w ho had a vision for a performing company that would “develop young dancers through the art of performing, fulfilling dreams ad aspirations, and promoting an appreciation of the arts in Northern Virginia. The Ballet Arts Ensemble, a troupe of 12 dancers, was born. Now, 15 seasons later, more than 60 dancers carry on that vision.

In addition to being a teaching school, Savage says the Center is a non-profit organization in the state that helps “bring cultural art to our public schools,” through the Fairfax Arts Council. “Donations are always very appreciated,” says Savage. “Literally every dollar helps us share the vision and beauty of ballet with the area’s children.”

There can truly be no better way to celebrate the magic of this holiday season than to share this delightful classic with friends and family. The strength and beauty of dancers who love their art, combined with the shortened version of this enchanting fairy tale, is certain to become an unforgettable memory as well as a family tradition.

Tickets for “Nutcracker in a Nutshell” are available at The Center for Ballet Arts, 11215-H Lee Highway in Fairfax Station, or through the Center’s web site, www.thecenterforballetarts.com.